Dreamlike Simplicity
by Keia-Marie
Summary: A dream can show you what your heart has forgotten. And for Onodera Ritsu, such is the case. In the space between sleep and awake, Ritsu makes a confession to Takano.


**Pairing: Onodera Ritsu/Takano Masamune**

**Rating: T**

**Spoilers: There are spoilers for the Ova & first TV episode! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi. I am not making any profit from this story. **

__ {Dreamlike Simplicity} __

_In a library filled with books, I never expected to fall in love. _

The spring morning was unlike any other. Bright and clear, there wasn't a single cloud to disturb the perpetual blue of the sky, and Onodera Ritsu liked it best that way. Holding his library books–that Senpai had loaned to him–closely against his chest like a precious treasure, the high school student gazed upwards while thoughts of the night before last filled his mind. It still seemed surreal that he and Senpai had become lovers. Lost in his daydreams, Ritsu took a step forward and came to a crashing halt.

"A-Ah!" He yelped in surprise. His eyes wide, Ritsu stared at the broad back before him. "I-I'm, I'm so sorry!" he stammered nervously. Ritsu could hardly believe that he'd foolishly walked into another person like that. It was _so_ embarrassing.

"Hmm?" The stranger glanced over his shoulder.

There was something oddly familiar about this person. His curiosity getting the better of him, Ritsu lifted his gaze and froze. He was being observed by none other than his heart's desire, Saga Masamune.

The dark fringes of his bangs covering his eyes, Saga calmly stated, "Your face is red."

Ritsu could hardly believe it. Saga-senpai had appeared out of nowhere only to catch him at the worst possible timing. He prayed that the look on his face wouldn't give him away. "Uh, yeah w-well, you see," he struggled to sound composed, "it's so sunny out, S-Senpai, so I didn't notice where I was going." Looking away, Ritsu had no way of knowing how adorable Saga thought he was.

After a short pause, Saga said, "You should be more careful."

"Ah, yeah." He tried to laugh it off. "I really wasn't paying attention after all, sorry." Ritsu held his books tighter. He could practically _feel_ Senpai looking at him. And after taking in a faint whiff of his cologne, Ritsu was reminded of how tenderly Saga had held him the night before last. His heart racing with unsaid emotions, Ritsu found that simply being in the shadow of that tall, straightforward presence made his love for Senpai grow.

"Ah, y-you know, Senpai–" Ritsu froze and felt his heart thump wildly. Just when he'd found enough courage to speak his mind, Saga had taken him gently by the hand. That alone was enough to make Ritsu feel like his whole body was on fire.

"Let's go." Saga spoke quietly, so quietly that Ritsu found himself looking up and saying, "H-Huh?"

"I said, let's go." Saga met his eyes. "Unless, that is, I was wrong to believe that we're both on our way to the library. But seeing as how I was supposed to help you study there today, I don't think that's the case. So, let's just go there together."

Ritsu wasn't even given the chance to respond. Saga was already leading the way. "Um..." His heart was pounding so loudly that he feared Saga might hear. "Sen-Senpai?"

Saga stopped but didn't turn around. "Ritsu, you're in love with me, right?"

Ritsu felt weak. Senpai had just called him by his first name again. It felt so good hearing it that he doubted whether or not this could be real. But the warmth of Senpai's hand squeezing his, proved otherwise. Saga was real. It all seemed so simple now. His expression softening, Ritsu smiled and gently squeezed that hand back.

_That's right, I love you._

"I thought so."

-xxx-

The affectionate feeling Ritsu had inside his heart did not solely come from his last waking dream. It also came from the warmth of person lying beside him.

Shifting his body closer towards that warmth, Ritsu slowly opened his eyes and found himself in strange surroundings. It was still dark out, but even so, Ritsu could tell that this wasn't his apartment or bed. Still groggy from being over-worked and sleep-deprived, Ritsu didn't feel the least bit bothered to see his first love, Takano Masamune–whom he'd once known as Saga Masamune–smiling back at him, holding his hand.

"Senpai?" he murmured sleepily and rubbed his eye.

"Ritsu," Takano softly called his name. "Go back to sleep." He brought Ritsu's hand to his lips. "I'll be right here when you wake up." Comforted by that promise, Ritsu closed his eyes and smiled. It all seemed so simple.

-xxx-

Ritsu groaned. The first morning rays of light beaming through the blinds were far worse than any alarm clock. It hadn't been long since the pounding ache in Ritsu's head had demanded his eyes to open. And after a lengthy bout of trying to recall what had happened the night before–other than the foggy memory of going over to Takano-san's to try and fix a manuscript he was editing–the atmosphere around Ritsu only darkened. There was no reasonable explanation for him waking up naked in Takano-san's bed. Except one. He and Takano-san had slept together.

"So, you're awake. There's coffee in the kitchen if you'd like some." Ritsu felt like his heart was about to stop. That all too familiar calm and collected tone told him all he needed to know. Takano Masamune was standing behind him.

"Don't act so surprised." Takano took a sip of his coffee. "I promised you that I'd be here when you woke up, didn't I?"

Sitting on his knees, Ritsu whipped his head around and exclaimed, "Asshole! I don't fucking carewhat promises you said to me or why!" Turning away, Ritsu tried to cover up that he _did_ care and made a desperate reach for his pants. "What the hell am I doing waking up _here _in your bed of all places anyway?"

Takano quietly regarded him and took another sip of coffee. "You don't remember."

His face flushed, Ritsu knew Takano wasn't asking him a question. It was bad enough that he couldn't remember exactly _what_ had happened last night, but to make matters worse, the only words Ritsu was capable of shouting back was, "_I don't!_"

"Then"–Takano put down his coffee mug and affectionately smoothed back Ritsu's hair–"we should wake up like this every morning until you do."

"_Don't touch me!_" Ritsu quickly slapped his hand away. But the hurt look on Takano's face made Ritsu regret it. "Ah, uh, I-I'm sorry." He grabbed the rest of his clothes and made a dash towards the door.

"Hey! Onodera!" Takano called after him. But it was too late. Ritsu was already gone.

-xxx-

"There's no way in hell I'd _ever_ make a love confession to someone like you!" His arms crossed, Onodera Ritsu shouted down at an indifferent Takano. It was late, and ever since Kisa had been the last to leave, the tension that had been mounting between them all day had resulted in their latest argument.

"But you already did." Takano adjusted his glasses and sighed.

"Since when?" Ritsu clenched his fists. He didn't like this cocky, tyrannical attitude of Takano's. It _really _pissed him off. "Even if I did make a love confession to you, then you'd _think _I'd remember making one! And besides, I've hardly spoken a word to you all day, so how could I?"

"That's right, Onodera." Takano stood up. "You've been cold." The icy glare in his eyes silenced Ritsu. "So cold in fact, that you couldn't even wait for me to catch the morning train with you. But what makes this avoidance of yours even worse, is that you cannot even remember anything about last night."

"L-Last night?" Ritsu felt his face heat up. There was no way he wanted to admit how many times his thoughts had drifted towards that very idea today.

"Last night," Takano repeated, "in your sleep, you reached out for me. So when I took hold of your hand," he took a step closer, "I asked if you were in love with me. And do you know what you said?"

Ritsu shut his eyes. _I don't! I definitely don't want to know!_

Takano hooked an arm around Ritsu's waist and pulled him close. "You said, 'that's right, I love you.'"

His eyes wide, Ritsu didn't know what to make of all this. But as much as he didn't want to admit it, he felt there was some truth behind what Takano was saying.

"You're lying!" Ritsu stubbornly tore his gaze away. But the look in Takano's eyes had told him otherwise. The only person Ritsu was trying to convince was himself.

"Just give it up already." Takano snickered. "I've already told you that I'd make you fall in love with me again. And even if you are the worst kind of person who can't remember a love confession when he makes one, I'll forgive you if you say it to me now." He smiled devilishly.

_Who does this asshole think he is!_ Ritsu tried desperately to push himself away. But it was useless. Takano only tightened his grip and moved closer.

"In the beginning," Takano whispered against his ear, "I noticed you noticing me. But now, after all this time..." He smirked when he felt Ritsu shudder. "It's the other way around. You noticed _me _noticing _you_."

Ritsu gasped softly and closed his eyes. The game was up. He'd lost. The heat that came from everywhere Takano touched him was undeniable. He wanted him.

"Ritsu," Takano softly whispered and kissed his neck. "As hard as it is for me to tell you this, nothing happened last night."

"H-Huh? What?" Ritsu gasped in between short breaths. Takano's kisses felt _way _too good.

"Although we slept together," Takano murmured, holding him close, "regrettably, we never made love."

"We didn't...?" Confused, Ritsu frowned. He didn't understand why Takano would say that all of a sudden. "I don't get it. Are you saying that you didn't want to?"

Takano faced Ritsu and exclaimed, "Are you an idiot? I'm not saying that at all! What I _am_ saying..." He let out a long drawn out breath. "Is that I would never take advantage of an unconscious person. I would never take advantage of _you_."

Ritsu shyly met Takano's eyes. "So then, we never...?"

"Not yet anyway." Takano gave an overly confident smirk, causing Ritsu's heart to skip a beat. "But," he said and dropped his head down on Ritsu's shoulder. "It's only a matter of time before we do."

There was that cocky, tyrannical attitude again. "Now, wait just a minute!" Ritsu cried. "That's never going–"

"But it _is_ rather unnerving," Takano cut him off, "to think that a person cannot even figure out if he'd been made love to or not. Or in your case, Onodera," he said and grinned smugly. "Suffer from short-term memory loss. But, you were putting your all into that manuscript that I cannot say how admirable that is. One minute, I was discussing a plot error with you, and then the next, you were passed out on my floor. You barely even noticed me picking you up and carrying you to my bed. You were like a dead weight in my arms."

_A dead weight! _Ritsu felt like screaming. But before he could, Takano had moved away and began leading him by the hand. "We're both headed towards the same place. So," he said and smiled over his shoulder. "Let's just go home together."

Silenced by the familiarity of it all, Ritsu blushed and allowed himself to be pulled along. It didn't matter how angry he was at Takano for behaving like such a tyrant. The feelings he held in his heart for this man outweighed any other. After all this time, nothing had changed.

Walking out of the office hand in hand, Ritsu silently followed Takano. No words were exchanged when the elevator doors opened and closed behind them. The tender grip they shared was the only the physical evidence linking them together. But to Onodera Ritsu, it was more than enough to prove how he felt. No matter how hard he'd try and make himself forget this man, his heart simply would not. His eyes welling up, Ritsu realized how simple it all seemed now. Long ago, Saga Masamune had been his first love. But now, Takano Masamune had become his last.

_The wonderful thing about dreams is that even when you wake up, you can still keep on dreaming. In an office filled with books, I never expected to fall in love again._

**THE END**

**Wow, it feels like forever since I've posted anything! Anyway, I absolutely love this couple! And after watching the Ova and first TV episode, I was **_**really**_** inspired to write this. I'm hoping for Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi to have as many (if not more!), episodes as Junjou Romatica, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see ;) And I had a lot of fun working alongside my wonderful Beta, Jeanne! She's so awesome and I really appreciate all of her help! So thank-you so much Jeanne, you rock! But before I get **_**way **_**off track here, I just wanted to let you know (for anyone wondering), that sadly, I've put Drive on hiatus. Hopefully, I'll be able to pick it up sooner than later and finish it. But at this point, I can't make any promises. Well, I hope you enjoyed this one-shot and liked what I did here :)**

**THANKS FOR READING!**


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